Following a recent address in which Treasurer Jim Chalmers flagged greater action to reach Australia's renewable energy goals, the federal government has been accused of slaughtering koalas in its quest to achieve net zero emissions.

On social media, grisly claims took flight after Nationals MP Keith Pitt used a radio interview to highlight the construction of a wind farm whose environmental plan includes provisions to euthanase the iconic animal where necessary.

The Liberal Party suggested federal energy minister Chris Bowen was behind the plan with a Facebook post reading: "Wind farms killing koalas: euthanasia will be conducted using blunt force trauma."

William Ellis, an expert in koala habitat management and research fellow with the University of Queensland's School of Environment, told CheckMate that "we shouldn't be planning for a catastrophic injury to any animals" and that the euthanasia information was not "a great look".

Claims about the spray being "toxic" appear to stem from social media posts and videos that point to a product safety sheet showing that "Apeel" contains chemicals that can cause eye damage and allergic skin reactions.

Meanwhile, conspiracy peddlers such as InfoWars host Alex Jones have criticised the product due to the involvement of Bill Gates — who has at various times been accused of planning to depopulate the world or disrupt global food supplies.

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